JUST CURIOUS??
- Thread starter pat
- Start date
pufferlover
Active Member
I am far from expert on lighting so I will let others answer that for you. But, I do have to say one thing and that is I think many of us hobbiest start to get away from the health and welfare of our finned friends and begin to see how much money we can spend on equipement. I am a advocate of "simple is often better". On my Reef tank (58 Ocenaic) I have just a doublestrip light with one white and one actinic bulb, and my corals are growing like no tomorrow. I realize in special applications better equipement is needed but I would guess three fourths of the time we are throwing money away on the wrong things. As one of the other members likes to say just my .02 cents worth.
goodmoray
New Member
Pat,
I have a 55gl with alot of corals(hammer, bubble, closed brain, green pylops and different mushrooms) and use Pc lights and 2 50 watt atinic bulbs and my corals grow like crazy....in fact i Believe that my brain is reproducing.....so I think that simple is better...just my .02.....rob
I have a 55gl with alot of corals(hammer, bubble, closed brain, green pylops and different mushrooms) and use Pc lights and 2 50 watt atinic bulbs and my corals grow like crazy....in fact i Believe that my brain is reproducing.....so I think that simple is better...just my .02.....rob
broomer5
Active Member
I would say Pat that the point you make the switch is right before you decide to keep corals that require lighting other than what you have now.
If your corals are now doing well .. no real reason to switch in my opinion.
If you have money burning a hole in your pocket .. then new lighting would be cool.
Next to water quality, I would imagine most would agree that proper lighting is the next thing to concentrate on.
I've got PC's on all my tanks .. and my corals are doing very good.
And yes ..... simple and natural go together ! Matter of fact, aside from lighting, if you can get to where you want to get to using "natural" methods in this hobby ... you're on the right track.
Brian
If your corals are now doing well .. no real reason to switch in my opinion.
If you have money burning a hole in your pocket .. then new lighting would be cool.
Next to water quality, I would imagine most would agree that proper lighting is the next thing to concentrate on.
I've got PC's on all my tanks .. and my corals are doing very good.
And yes ..... simple and natural go together ! Matter of fact, aside from lighting, if you can get to where you want to get to using "natural" methods in this hobby ... you're on the right track.
Brian
nickbuol
Member
OK. I've got a related question for you "simple is better" folks...
How much would a 150 gallon tank need to support most (doesn't need to support every possible) coral?
Right now we have a 75 gallon with a twin tube with 2-40 watt daylight, and a power compact fixture with 2-55 watt daylight and 2-55 watt actinics (300 watts total). We have yet to get coral...
How much would a 150 gallon tank need to support most (doesn't need to support every possible) coral?
Right now we have a 75 gallon with a twin tube with 2-40 watt daylight, and a power compact fixture with 2-55 watt daylight and 2-55 watt actinics (300 watts total). We have yet to get coral...
q
Member
I have a guestion that is some what related that I was wanting to post so I'll post it here.
I have been noticing lately that people who have upgraded lighting have experienced algea bloom. So the question is why.
Was the lighting just to weak for the algea to reproduce and support photosynthises.
If so then I would conclude that over doing lighting is application based and you should do only what is required for the livestock to thrive. In doing this then your water quality will have a bigger "ideal" spec without running into problems. for example the FO tank with NO lights would be easier to care for (more room for error) than if you had more light.
Lastley then so what is too much, or can it really be answered. I am going to be doing a 75 gal reef tank and want to keep corals that require a lot of light. Wanting to use MH and VHO but if I went with 2 250W MH bulbs and 2 110 VHO bulbs (720 Watts) is that going to be over kill or not.
Way to much to think about. LOL
I have been noticing lately that people who have upgraded lighting have experienced algea bloom. So the question is why.
Was the lighting just to weak for the algea to reproduce and support photosynthises.
If so then I would conclude that over doing lighting is application based and you should do only what is required for the livestock to thrive. In doing this then your water quality will have a bigger "ideal" spec without running into problems. for example the FO tank with NO lights would be easier to care for (more room for error) than if you had more light.
Lastley then so what is too much, or can it really be answered. I am going to be doing a 75 gal reef tank and want to keep corals that require a lot of light. Wanting to use MH and VHO but if I went with 2 250W MH bulbs and 2 110 VHO bulbs (720 Watts) is that going to be over kill or not.
Way to much to think about. LOL
pat
Member
thats more of what i was wondering, i have PC's on my 55 and im getting a lot of growth, but i was wondering like at what point do you know when to make the jump to more intense lighting. is there a specific watts per gallon? or is there a lot of things that come into play, such as not only how many gallons, but also depth, temperature, stuff like that? is it possible to have too much lighting? if so, how much is too much?
pat
Member
oh another question along these lines someone might be able to answer, what about like an aquarium, the big kind??? i grew up in Monterey, and when i was back, i went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium (one of the biggest in the world, i know it had tha title for a while) i found myself just as interested in their equiptment was i was in all their critters. what would they do in the lighting dept???? where they have like 2 story tanks? they also have a huge outter bay exibit, which was very deep water, had sunfish and HUGE baracudda. is there a way that they simulate the pressure of the water that deep, or just hope for the best with what they have, what about lighting on that??? im probably thinking too big here, i dont think my apartment is gonna like this 
q
Member
Along with the lighting thing I heard that different lights penitrate better with MH being the best for penitration. Can anyone confirm this.
Another point of intrest is the photoperiod. If you have weaker lights can you have them on longer than if you have stronger lights. Or do they have to be on longer to do the same amount of work.
Another point of intrest is the photoperiod. If you have weaker lights can you have them on longer than if you have stronger lights. Or do they have to be on longer to do the same amount of work.
T
the new guy
Guest
On most of the big tanks I have seen they use the best light you can find... The Sun